Multifunctional nanodrug performs sonodynamic therapy and inhibits TGF-β to boost immune response against colorectal cancer and liver metastasis

Copyright © 2023 Acta Materialia Inc. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved..

Liver metastasis is the leading cause of death in colorectal cancer. Immunotherapy using immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) is ineffective due to its immunological cold tumor nature. Herein, we prepared a nanodrug (NCG) encapsulating the transforming growth factor-β receptor inhibitor galunisertib (Gal) and the sonosensitizer chlorin e6 (Ce6), which was aimed to turn this type of cold tumor into a hot one to promote the ICB-based immunotherapy against it. After delivery to the tumor, NCG under ultrasonic irradiation generated reactive oxygen species causing tumor immunogenic cell death and releasing immunostimulatory signals such as calreticulin and HMGB1, which increased tumor immunogenicity and activated the innate T lymphocyte immune response. Moreover, NCG responded to the acidic microenvironment and released Gal, inhibiting phosphorylation and inducing immunosuppressive Smad2/3 signaling. Consequently, the differentiation of MDSCs was inhibited, M1-like polarization of tumor-associated macrophages was induced, and the immunosuppressive barrier of tumor-associated fibroblasts was destroyed to increase the infiltration of effector T cells, which reversed the immunosuppression of the tumor microenvironment and improved the therapeutic efficacy of anti-PD-L1 antibodies. Notably, in the liver metastasis mouse model, combination therapy using NCG (+) and aPD-L1 inhibited the growth of colon cancer liver metastasis, manifesting potential in treating this popular yet intractable malignancy. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: Only a limited number of patients with colorectal cancer and liver metastasis can benefit from immune checkpoint blockade therapy, as most of them are microsatellite stable, immunologically cold tumors. Interestingly, there is compelling evidence that sonodynamic therapy (SDT) can convert immunosuppressed cold tumors into hot ones, trigger tumor immunogenic cell death non-invasively, and boost cytotoxic T cells infiltration. However, its therapeutic efficacy is constrained by the abundance of transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) cytokines in the tumor microenvironment. Here, we reported a TGF-β-targeted inhibitory nanodrug that improved SDT in colon cancer and liver metastasis, reversed the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment and boosted the immune response to anti-PD-L1 therapy in this cancer. It demonstrated the potential to cure this prevalent but incurable malignancy.

Medienart:

E-Artikel

Erscheinungsjahr:

2023

Erschienen:

2023

Enthalten in:

Zur Gesamtaufnahme - volume:164

Enthalten in:

Acta biomaterialia - 164(2023) vom: 01. Juli, Seite 538-552

Sprache:

Englisch

Beteiligte Personen:

Huang, Shengxin [VerfasserIn]
Ding, Dongbing [VerfasserIn]
Lan, Tianyun [VerfasserIn]
He, Guanhui [VerfasserIn]
Ren, Jiannan [VerfasserIn]
Liang, Rongpu [VerfasserIn]
Zhong, Huihai [VerfasserIn]
Chen, Gengjia [VerfasserIn]
Lu, Xue [VerfasserIn]
Shuai, Xintao [VerfasserIn]
Wei, Bo [VerfasserIn]

Links:

Volltext

Themen:

76057-06-2
Colorectal cancer liver metastasis
Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors
Immune checkpoint blockade
Journal Article
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Sonodynamic therapy
TGF-β receptor inhibitor
Transforming Growth Factor beta
Transforming Growth Factors
Tumor microenvironment

Anmerkungen:

Date Completed 29.05.2023

Date Revised 05.06.2023

published: Print-Electronic

Citation Status MEDLINE

doi:

10.1016/j.actbio.2023.04.001

funding:

Förderinstitution / Projekttitel:

PPN (Katalog-ID):

NLM355418584